On 4 January 2010, when it was officially inaugurated, we told you about the tallest building in the world and after more than 10 years, the Burj Khalifa is still undefeated. That’s why today we are taking a look at this impressive building.
What is the tallest building in the world?
The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. In addition to its impressive engineering work, it is a true work of art: a symbol of the evolving and prosperous Middle East, Dubai’s increasingly important role in an ever-changing world
According to Mohamed Alabbara, chairman of Emaar Properties, the impossible has been realised during and after design.
Records of the Burj Khalifa
During the construction of this magnificent building, several interesting records and legends were collected that contributed to the reputation of the Burj Khalifa. Not only is it the largest building in the world, but it also has the tallest mosque (on the 158th floor), the tallest watchtower (on the 124th floor), the highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor) and the fastest lifts
It is also the tallest free-standing construction, a concrete building and a residential building with the most floors. And it could stay on the list for a long time to come …
‘The Lounge, @BurjKhalifa‘ achieves Guinness World Records @GWR title for ‘Highest lounge in a building’ at 585.36 metres https://t.co/58xlGeCp5o #Dubai #BurjKhalifa #tourism pic.twitter.com/mBBIFT0Nb3-
Dubai Tourism (DET) (@dubaitourism) September 19, 2019
Inside the skyscraper
At 828 metres, the Burj Khalifa is one of Dubai’s most sought-after destinations. You can access the top-level SKY lounge, where you’ll learn about the tower’s history over Arabic coffee and dates. Another option is to go to the 442-metre height to enjoy an excellent restaurant after your sightseeing experiences in the building
The modern elegance of the place also guarantees a special experience, as well as the perfect cuisine and the great view of the Arabian Gulf
Burj Khalifa also has several residences and flats, providing a wide range of services accordingly; all of which awaits guests in a unique style, of course. Here you will find state-of-the-art fitness equipment, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and relaxation areas
The 37-room Armani hotel contains all the comforts and amenities you would expect from a hotel at ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. The hotel’s restaurant also offers breathtaking views of the bay, desert and city. Designed by Giorgo Armani, the hotel combines refined elegance with sophisticated comfort
The skyscraper itself and the area around Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard are decorated with works of art by thousands of renowned artists. The individual pieces were selected in a pattern of fusion of cultures and communities, which also symbolises the international unity of the Burj Khalifa.
On the way to the Burj Khalifa
You can also reach the skyscraper by metro, choose Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall. If you go down one floor from the Dubai Mall, you will already find yourself at the entrance of the skyscraper. Near the world’s tallest building, you can also visit one of Dubai’s most famous fountains, which, with the help of almost 6,000 lamps and 25 projectors, makes it a more colourful and self-contained experience; as a water feature it rises to a height of 150 metres.
11 facts about the world’s tallest skyscraper
1. Created to diversify the economy
The sheikh of Dubai commissioned the construction of a grandiose tower to diversify the emirate’s economy: increase the share of tourism and the financial sector and reduce dependence on oil exports.
2. Burj Khalifa architect is building a skyscraper in Grozny
Adrian Smith became the chief architect of the skyscraper. His most famous creation before Burj Khalifa is the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, which were the tallest in the world between 1998 and 2003. Smith is now building the Akhmat Tower skyscraper in Grozny.
3. The main competitor was brought down by corruption
In 2013, under Adrian Smith’s leadership, construction began on the “Jeddah Tower” in Saudi Arabia, named after the city near which it is located. This skyscraper was supposed to surpass the Burj Khalifa in height and become the first kilometre-long building in history. But in 2018 the project was put on ice as the main investors ended up in prison for corruption
4. Khalifa Tower, not Khalifa Tower
The popular version, according to which the name of the skyscraper translates as “royal tower” or “king’s tower”, does not correspond to reality. The skyscraper was originally called Burj Dubai. Burj means “tower” in Arabic. At the last minute, it was decided to name the tower after the President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa ibn Zayed al-Nahyan
*“Khalifa” is his name, not a title
5. Giant construction site
The construction of the Burj Khalifa required 1.3 billion euros, 330,000 cubic metres of concrete and 39,000 tonnes of reinforced steel. A total of 22 million man-hours were put into the work. In the midst of the tower’s construction, 12,000 workers from different countries were working simultaneously.
6. The design is based on a tropical flower
The main idea of the skyscraper project was the architectural imitation of the hymenokallis flower, which is also called the spider lily. The tower’s wings spread out from its core like petals.
7. Holder of three records
In addition to the title of the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa holds several other records in the Guinness Book of Records. The skyscraper houses the longest single lift (504 metres; it is the world’s tallest multi-storey building; it houses the world’s tallest restaurant (441 metres). The Burj Khalifa used to have the world’s highest observation deck (555 metres), but in 2015, this record was broken by the Shanghai Tower, where the observation deck is 6 metres higher.
8. To the top – in one minute
The Burj Khalifa’s lifts are not only the longest in the world, but also some of the fastest: they travel at a speed of 10 metres per second and take passengers to the observation deck in less than a minute.
9. Armani Skyscraper
The highlight of the skyscraper is the Armani hotel and apartment complex. Giorgio Armani himself was involved in the development of the interior designs. The price of a night in a standard room in such a hotel averages around 700 €/night and the Armani Signature Armanide Armani Suite, which is around 200 square metres, averages around 3,000 €/night
10. More popular than the Vatican
According to Uber, the Burj Khalifa was the seventh most visited attraction in the world in 2019 (before covid). It beat Buckingham Palace, Disneyland and the Vatican, but lost out to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower
11. Not a cheap treat
A tourist ticket to the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa costs around €130 during prime time and around €95 during non-prime time
▷ You may be interested in: 360 DEGREE INTERACTIVE IMAGE VIEWED FROM THE BURJ KHALIFA
Which building is going to surpass the Burj Khalifa?
The United Arab Emirates seems to insist that it is the pinnacle of architectural marvels. Creek Tower could become a global icon of the 21st century but at the moment they are a little underwhelmed. It has to be said that the plans of the famous Spanish neo-futurist architect Santiago Calatrava were more convincing to Dubai’s ruler.
At first glance, as if this structure defies gravity, Santiago was inspired by the design of Arab minarets and the lily flower. To the general public, though, it is more like a rocket about to take off.
The superstructure that stands up to reality
The building’s revolutionary design will break records when completed. In this building you will find the world’s highest garden with a 360-degree view. Up to an altitude of 800 m, the axis of the building is secured, and then, where the structure thickens, the “rocket head” will be suitable for everything else on approximately 30 floors
It is planned to have restaurants, hotels and the world’s tallest mosque. Imagine yourself in the great experience of tourists and contemplating a sunset at an altitude of +1000 metres, either during dinner or at prayer.
Which skyscraper is currently being built to surpass the Burj Khalifa?
Every year we see a proliferation of skyscrapers that are part of the landscape and continue to grow or projects that have fallen by the wayside.
The rapid emergence of these impressive buildings is proof of the knowledge and know-how that the construction sector has developed in particular thanks to technological innovations in autocad, BIM, robots, drones or connected objects. However, it has also placed many architects, engineers and other professionals in front of new limits.
However, if we talk about the “short term”, the building that will surpass the Burj Khalifa will be the Jeddah Tower
The Jeddah Tower represents a new challenge. It is a building that, when completed, is expected to reach a height of 1,000 metres, making it the tallest building in the world. Such a height would have seemed, not so long ago, on the order of science fiction.
The skyscraper will be located in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It will be part of Jeddah Economic City, an urban project of more than 5 million square metres with an estimated cost of more than $20 billion
The tower will be the centrepiece of this massive project that aims not only to stimulate economic development in the region, but also to illustrate the growth, prosperity and emergence of Saudi Arabia as a global power
The construction of this megaproject started in 2011. However, due to major economic setbacks caused by the drop in oil prices, the project had to be suspended. Although this economic situation increased the cost of the project from USD 1.2 billion to USD 2 billion, it is expected that the 1.2 billion structure will be built by the end of 2011
The 1,000-metre-high structure is expected to house 245,000 square metres of floor space on 252 floors
It will house flats and offices, a 200-room hotel and the world’s tallest observatory on an open-air terrace almost 30 metres in diameter. The tower was designed by Adrian Smith, who was already the architect of the Burj Khalifa
Like Smith, many other participants in this new project were also involved in the construction of the world’s tallest skyscraper today. The list of such players includes Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin Inc. for wind power engineering and Fisher Marantz Stone for architectural lighting.
The design of the tower required the use of advanced technologies as its impressive size implies many new challenges. Extensive studies have been carried out to assess the potential impact of wind at such an altitude, state-of-the-art dual platform lifts will be used to facilitate movement in the tower and a 60-metre deep base has been provided to counteract damage caused by the tower
The building’s energy performance should also be impressive due to its external wall system that minimises thermal loads on all three sides and shields it from the sun.
The construction of this colossus also posed logistical challenges due to its international setting. That’s why digital tools such as project management software were also used to help teams around the world collaborate on the project.
By November 2017, Jeddah Tower had already reached a height of 248 metres , with central walls up to level 60, central slabs up to 55, side walls up to 53 and slabs up to 49
Building details:
- Year of completion:
- Construction area: 464,907 sqm
- Total built-up area : 243,866 m2
- Altitude: more than 1 km
- Number of flats: 318
- Number of hotel rooms: 182
- Maximum elevation speed: above 10 m / s
- Expected project cost: 20 billion dollars
- Owner: Jeddah Economic Company
- Developer: Jeddah Economic Company
- Architect: Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture
- Contractor: Saudi Bin Laden Group
- Technical director responsible for construction: Dar Al Handasa
- Project management: EC Harris / Mace JV
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